Playground toy and exercising device



June 1, 1965 c. MoRRow 3,186,711

PLAYGROUND TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Oct. 22, 1962 INVENTOR. ROBERT C. MORROW United States Patent 3,186,711 PLAYGRQUND TOY AND EXERCISING DEVICE Robert C. Morrow, 725 S. 21st St., Paducah, Ky. Filed Qct. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 232,204 7 Claims. (Cl. 27285) This invention relates to a playground toy and exercising device, primarily intended for the use of children and which is so constructed that it goes beyond the mere amusement of a child and enters the field of gymnastics.

Broadly stated the invention comprises a carrier for a child which instead of comprising a safe body enclosing basket requiring no skill or effort upon the part of the child in maintaining its position therein, comprises a cage like carrier consisting of a pair of relatively large rings secured together at substantially right angles to each other about a common vertical axis. This carrier as a whole is suspended from a chain or other strand like element which includes within its length a spring. The child receiving carrier is capable of three types of movements, to wit; bodily swinging, turning back and forth about the axis provided by the chain and spring and bouncing up and down under the elasticity of the spring. Because the device of the invention is intended primarily for the use of children, the rings are made of hoop-like dimensions. That is, the cross sectional diameter of the material of the rings is relatively small in comparison with the overall diameters of the rings. Therefore, the whole childcarrying element, consisting of the pair of rings, both of which lie upon a common vertical axis is not heavy enough to present a danger to the child in either of the movements described, to wit: the bodily swinging, the vertical bouncing, or the back and forth twisting movements.

A device capable of use as described is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the complete device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view illustrating the connection between the tops of the two rings, with one of the rings in section; and

FIG. 3 is a detail view of the connection of the rings at the bottom thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

A preferred Way of uniting the two rings is shown in the drawing and which way enables the rings to not only be readily assembled or disassembled for purposes of close packing for shipment but also makes it possible to unite rings of equal diameters. The latter feature causes the connected rings to present a relatively comfortable seat for a child. A child may stand, crouch, sit or hang within the rings. When seated with his back against one ring the other ring presents hand grasps for the child. The child may assume many different positions while the carrier or cage swings bodily or twists back and forth or bounces vigorously up and down. The necessity of maintaining his position within the carrier through all of the movements of the character described requires the child to go through many forms of exercise of a beneficial and skill promoting nature.

The valuable feature of the invention resides primarily in the use of the two rings, as described. In the drawing these two rings are designated 5 and 6. Ring 5 is a continuous ring while ring 6 is made of the two halves 6a and 6b. The two halves of ring 6 are united at the tops of 'the halves by a strap or plate 7 that is welded to the upper end portions of ring 6. The upper portion of ring 5 passes through a space 8 which lies between the confronting ends of the two halves. The uniting structure is subtantially the same at the bottom of the carrier where the continuous ring 5 passes between the ends of the confronting halves of the two part ring 6. A strap 9 is welded to the 3,186,71 l Patented June 1, 1965 halves of the two part ring 6 and units them at the bottom thereof.

Ring 5 is kept in assembled relation to ring 6 at the top of the rings by a bolt 10. This bolt passes through ring 5 and strap 7. A nut 16a binds ring 5 securely to the strap 7. A eye 11 of round, rod-like material comprises portions which are welded to the top of strap 7.

The eye 11 receives the lower end of asuspending.

strand which may be a light chain, nylon rope or any other suitable material. In the form chosen for purposes of illustration said strand comprises two lengths of light chain 12 and 13 which are united by a stout spring 14. The upper end of the chain length 13 is connected by an S hook 13a to a suspension eye 15. The eye 15 is carried by any suitable support. Thesupport may be a tree limb or any other strong overhead element. In the drawing the support is shown as being comprised by a vertical standard 16 and a horizontal arm 17. The vertical standard is firmly anchored in the ground by a mass of concrete 16a or otherwise and a brace 18 stiifens the horizontal arm with respect to the standard. The dotted lines indicate that the horizontal arm portion of the support may comprise a second horizontal arm 17a from which a second device such as that shown in full lines in FIG. 1 may be suspended.

It would be within the purview of the invention to use three rings instead of two to form a cage like carrier, the essential thought being to provide a cage of such nature that it is of quite open formation to such an extent that a child carried therein must exert physical effort to maintain his position. This physical efiort will include gripping action of the hands, push and pull action of the hands, arms and shoulders, pushing by the legs and twisting of the trunk of the body. These advantages may be provided for quite young children but three rings would provide more gripping or hold on points than two.

The device shown is of economical construction and it provides an amusing and beneficial exercising device in which a child may swing, twist back and forth and bounce either separately or all three simultaneously.

The proportions of the several parts may vary according to whether the device is intended for tots or for older children. I have found that an elevation of about 10 feet above the ground for eye 15 yields very satisfactory results. Also a length of about 18 inches for the spring and a degree of elongation of from 10 to 15 inches of the spring under weights varying from 40 to pounds has been found to be satisfactory. I preferably locate the spring two feet or more above the top of the cage so that it will be out of the reach of the children in the support or cage. Many ways may be resorted to to support a cage comprising a pair of rings disposed at right angles to each other, for bouncing, bodily swinging or twisting around a vertical axis. The connection between the eye 15 and the cage may include a swivel if desired but I find that the relatively loose connection between the eye 15, the S hook 13a and the several connections between the chains and spring and betweenthe lower chain and eye 11 by an S hook 13b give enough play to permit the support or cage to spin back and forth to a considerable extent, this efiect being enhanced by the twisting effect of the spring.

The invention is not limited to the particular construction shown but it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly fall within either the terms or the spirit of cal twistable strand, and means for connecting the upper end of the strand to an overhead support and for connecting the lower end of the strand to the top of the cage, upon an axis common to both of the rings.

2. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein the said' rings are of substantially the same'diarneter. i

3. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said. rings. is continuous and of one piece and the other of said rings is in two parts with the confronting ends of said parts lying in spaced relation and upon each side of the one piece ring, and means for uniting theconfronting ends of the halves of the two part ring.

4. A structure as recited in claim 1 wherein one of said rings iscontinuous and of one'piece and the other of said rings is in two parts with the confronting ends of said parts lying in spaced relation and upon each side of the one piece ring, and means for uniting the confronting ends of the halves of the two part ring, said means for connecting the lower end of the strand to, the top of the cage including a twistable suspending strand and means carried by said uniting means to which the lower end of the suspending strand is connected.

5. An exercising and amusement device for children comprising an open cage-like carrier consisting of a plurality of hoop-like rings of a diameter to receive a child therein, means for rigidly uniting the ringsto each other in equidistantly spaced relation, and upon a common 7 vertical axis an overhead support and a flexible twistable strand connected at its top to said support and at its bottom to the tops of said rings.

6. A structure as recited in claim 5 wherein the flexible strand includes a longitudinally extensible spring in its length. a

'7. An exercising and amusement device for children 7 comprising an open cage-like carrier consisting of a pair of rings, one of which passes through the other and lies at substantially right angles to said other ring, one of said ringsbeing continuous in its length and the other ring being formed of two halves, means for uniting the halves of the latter ring and holding the ends of said halves substantially against the sides of the continuous ring, and means for connecting a suspending strand to said rings upon a vertical axis that is common to both of said rings, a supporting suspending strand comprising a length of flexible chain and a helical spring longitudinally aligned with each other, and twistabie to permit the cage-like carrier to twist back and forth or to bounce up and down, as described.

6/06 Wilcox 272-- 8/26 Spross 272-91 LOUIS R. PRINCE, Primary Examiner. 

5. AN EXERCISING AND AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR CHILDREN COMPRISING AN OPEN CAGE-LIKE CARRIER CONSISTING OF A PLURALITY OF HOOP-LIKE RINGS OF A DIAMETER TO RECEIVE A CHILD THEREIN, MEANS FOR RIGIDLY UNITING THE RINGS TO EACH OTHER IN EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED RELATION, AND UPON A COMMON VERTICAL AXIS AN OVERHEAD SUPPORT AND A FLEXIBLE TWISTABLE STRAND CONNECTED AT ITS TOP TO SAID SUPPORT AND AT ITS BOTTOM TO THE TOPS OF SAID RINGS. 